1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a single lens reflex camera. Particularly, though not exclusively, the invention relates to positioning a motor for driving a quick return mirror.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various proposals are made about how to dispose in the single lens reflex camera the constituent elements such as motors and capacitors in order to reduce its size.
For example, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 2-39236 discusses a single lens reflex camera where the motor is disposed in a spool room on a side of a mirror box such that its output shaft intersects with an optical axis.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-80603 discusses a configuration that separately lays out the same kinds of constituent elements. That is, one of the cylindrical capacitors for driving a built-in flash unit is disposed inside a camera grip together with a battery, and other cylindrical capacitors are disposed inside the camera body other than the camera grip.
When reducing the size of the single lens reflex camera, the layout options for the constituent elements are limited due to the arrangement constrictions of a quick return mirror that guides the optical flux to the finder optical system and a mirror box that surrounds it. Particularly, in the silver halide film single lens reflex camera, the spaces for a spool and a film cartridge room for storing the film should be located in predetermined positions with respect to the optical axis, therefore, other constituent elements inevitably are laid out in the specified positions.
In recent years, the single lens reflex camera has been digitalized, with the film replaced by an image capture element for capturing an object image. However, the layout of elements constituting the digital camera inherits practices of the silver halide film single lens reflex camera, which are not suitable for the digital single lens reflex camera.
The camera discussed in Japanese Utility model Application Laid-Open No. 2-39236 is an example of the silver halide film single lens reflex camera, in which the film storing section restrains the motor layout.